He was born in Quebec
City in 1817 and educated there. He entered the hardware
business with his uncle and then opened his own business. He later
became the owner of the Quebec Plaster Mills. He also served as
president or vice-president for several firms. Simard was elected
to represent Quebec City in the Legislative
Assembly of the Province of Canada in an 1856 by-election; he
was reelected in 1857 and 1861 in Quebec-Centre. He supported the
choice of Quebec City over Ottawa as a capital. In 1867, he was elected to
both the federal and provincial legislatures. He retired from
politics after completing his terms in office.